The Harvard-Westlake Chronicle

Traditions of Trust: Exploring the Peer Support Program

Students and faculty discuss the history, impact and the future of Peer Support at the school and the program’s influence on campus.

Sienna Dall’Olmo, Assistant Features Editor
May 8, 2025

It is 2022. While most classrooms at the school sit empty at 5:45 p.m. on a Monday evening, Rugby and Chalmers are quickly filled by students splitting into their Peer Support Rooms. Sophomore Nate Arnold...

Peer Support holds weekly meetings

Kara Jazaeri, Layout Assistant and Staff Writer
October 31, 2024

Peer Support held its first and second meetings of the school year on Oct. 7 and Oct. 14 . Peer Support is a student-led on-campus program designed to provide Upper School students with a safe space to...

Peer Support leaders, trainees attend retreat

Erin Ryu, Assistant News Editor
September 22, 2024

Peer Support leaders and trainees attended a retreat at the Oaks Camp and Conference Center in Lake Hughes from Sept. 7-9. Students participated in several team-building activities, such as a ropes course...

Peer Support coordinators selected for 2024-2025 school year

Colin Ho, Staff Writer
April 24, 2024

Van Kamenstein ’25, Pearl Gatins ’25, and Assistant Opinion Editors Eden Conner ’25 and Hana Mehdi Williams ’25 were chosen to serve as Peer Support coordinators for the 2024-2025 school year,...

Peer Support holds first meeting of the year

Saisha Kumar
October 9, 2022

Peer Support launched its first meeting of the year after school Oct. 3. Students were provided with pizza and refreshments while awaiting announcements regarding group assignments at 5:45 p.m. Peer...

Peer Support turns 30

Thirty years after its founding, community members share their experiences and memories of the Peer Support program.

Fallon Dern and Alex Hahn
December 25, 2021

It is 6:30 p.m. in Chalmers 305. With their backs pressed against flipped-over desks, 14 students are seated facing each other. Unopened boxes of Animal Crackers and Lays potato chips are piled in the...

Peer Support reaches new sign-up record

Claire Conner
October 5, 2021

After receiving a record number of sign-ups, Peer Support gathered for its first meeting of the school year Oct. 4. Peer Support meets once weekly to share social and academic issues and bond with group...

Peer Support retreat kicks off 2021-22 program

Fallon Dern
September 18, 2021

Peer Support leaders and trainees participated in a bonding retreat at Camp Ramah from Sept. 10 to 12. This marked the program's first overnight trip since COVID-19 moved the group meetings to Zoom. Students...

Peer Support holds first on-campus meeting of the year

Charlie Seymour
February 25, 2021

Students gathered at school Saturday, Feb. 20, for the first on-campus Peer Support (PSUPP) meeting of the school year. Each respective PSUPP group sat in socially distanced circles on the upper school’s...

Students invited back to campus for social activities

Sandra Koretz
October 31, 2020

In an email to upper school students, Prefect Council announced that the campus will be open to students to participate in small group activities starting the week of Nov. 9. Attending these group activities...

Letter to the Editors – Head of Peer Support Tina McGraw

Tina McGraw, Head of Peer Support
October 1, 2020

This Letter to the Editors was written in response to factual inaccuracies in the opinion article, "Conflict Crisis," published in issue one of Volume 30. Peer Support started 30 years ago, right before...

Conflict Crisis

Julian Andreone
August 27, 2020

A Letter to the Editors was written in response to this piece and published in issue two of Volume 30 in order to address factual inaccuracies. Peer Support, the largest club on campus, presents itself...